Brooker, to be aware that when Iset my heart upon doing a thing I will accomplish it at all cost," thePrince, exclaimed. "I'm no longer an outsider, remember, I cannotreally understand your disinclination to allow Liane to become Princessd'Auzac. Surely you must see that it would be distinctly to your ownadvantage. She would take care that you'd never be hard up for a fewhundreds, you know."
"She does not love you, Zertho."
"Love be hanged!" cried the other, fiercely impatient. "In a week Ishall repeat my proposal to her: if she does not accept, well--"
"Well?" echoed Brooker, paler than before, the hand holding the cigartrembling, for he was feigning a coolness which he was unable topreserve.
For a moment the Prince paused then crossing to the escritoire, whichstood in the window, took therefrom a folded newspaper, old andtattered, together with several other papers folded together lengthwise.Recrossing to where Brooker stood, he held them up to his gaze, with asinister smile upon his lips, and a look full of menace.
"No! no!" cried the Captain, glaring at the innocent-looking papers, anddrawing back with a gesture of repulsion.
"Very well," Zertho answered, with nonchalance. "Strange though it mayappear, your only chance of safety is in becoming my father-in-law. Itwill be easy enough for you to persuade Liane to become my wife, and Iam ready and eager to remain your friend. But if your prejudices are sovery intense and indiscreet, well--you know the rest."
The two men who had been fellow-adventurers faced each other. In thecountenance of one was confidence, in the other abject fear.
"I never expected this of you, Zertho," the Captain said reproachfully,regarding him with eyes in which flashed the fire of anger. "Youapparently heed nothing of my feelings as her father. You know my past;you know that Liane brings into my life its only ray of brightness."
"We are no longer partners," the other answered harshly, with astrangely determined expression upon his dark countenance. "You areplaying against me now, therefore I am your opponent. You've thoughtfit to deal the cards, it's true," he added, with a short derisivelaugh; "but I think you'll have to admit that I hold all the trumps."
CHAPTER NINE.
THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS.
One thought alone possessed Liane. Zertho loved her.
Next morning when the maid brought her coffee, she rose, and opening thesun-shutters, stood at the window gazing upon the broad expanse ofbright blue sea. The words the Prince had uttered all came back to her.She recollected how he had pressed her hand, and declared that she washis ideal of what a woman should be; how, not satisfied with herrefusal, he had promised to repeat his question. Should she accept?No, she distrusted him as much as she had ever done.
While thus plunged in deep reflection, her clear eyes fixed upon thedistant horizon where ships were passing, endeavouring to convinceherself that marriage with Zertho was impossible because she could neverlove him, a light tap was heard upon the door, and the girl re-entered,bearing a letter.
By its blue English stamp, she knew instinctively it was from George.
Slowly she tore open the envelope and read its contents. Then, with asudden movement, she cast herself upon her bed, burying her face in thelace-edged pillow, and bursting into a torrent of passionate tears. Shehated Zertho, and still loved George.
Meanwhile, her father had risen, and gone out for an early turn alongthe Promenade. He let himself out at the rear into the Rue de France,in order not to pass the Villa Chevrier, and after strolling for sometime about the town, he reached the sea again walking alone, his faceset towards the high castle hill, which he presently ascended by thewinding flight of stone steps, and standing at last on the summit, inthe beautiful garden laid out on the side of the long-ruined chateau,paused to rest. The sun was strong, the sky cloudless, and in everydirection the view was superb. As he stood leaning over the stoneparapet, the Cape of Antibes, the Iles de Lerins, the mouth of the broadstony Var, and the town of Nice were at his feet, while behind stretchedthe green valley of the Paillon, with the white monasteries of Cimiezand St Pons, the distant chateau of St Andre, the peaks of Mont Chauve,and the Aspremont, with the blue distant Alps forming a picturesquebackground. He removed his hat, and allowed the fresh breeze that cameup from the sea to fan his heated temples.
He was alone, save for a solitary sentinel standing with fixed bayonetsome distance away, at the entrance to a large platform, where severalguns were mounted behind baskets filled with stones, and as he leaned,his eyes fixed blankly upon the sea, some low words escaped him.
"Yes," he murmured in desperation, "this is indeed the last drop thathas filled my cup of affliction. Poor Liane! How can I tell her? Howcan I go to her and confess the ghastly truth? If I do; if I tell herof the terrible secret which I had believed was mine alone, she--thechild whom I have loved and cherished all these years, will turn from mewith loathing."
His hands were clenched, his brow furrowed, and upon his usually merrycountenance was a settled look of unutterable despair.
"No, it is impossible--absolutely impossible," he went on, sighingdeeply, after a few moments. "To tell her the truth would only be toincrease her unhappiness and cause her to hate me, therefore I cannot--Idare not! No; Zertho is inexorable. I must sacrifice Liane in order tosave myself."
Again he was silent, pondering deeply, and striving to form some plan bywhich to save his daughter from being forced into this undesirableunion. But he could conceive none. Even if he defied this man who wasendeavouring to secure Liane, and boldly met the terrible consequencesof the exposure of his secret, he saw that such a course must reflectupon her, for she would then be alone in the world--friendless, forsakenand penniless; while if he fled, he must be found sooner or later, forwithin twenty-four hours the police of Europe would be activelysearching for him. Then, calmly and without fear, he thought ofsuicide, his one desire being to save Liane from disgrace. Leaning overthe parapet, he gazed far down upon the brown, rocky crags, beaten timeafter time by the great rolling waves as they broke and threw up columnsof white spray. He was contemplating how best to end his life. Hecould leave her a letter confessing all the truth, and thus save herfrom becoming the wife of this titled adventurer. Yet again adifficulty presented itself. To act thus would be cowardly; besideswhich Liane would also be left without money, and without a protector.For a long time he carefully reviewed all the facts, at length arrivingat the same conclusion as before, that his suicide would only bringincreased disaster upon the child he idolised.
"No," he exclaimed aloud, between his set teeth. "There is but oneway--one way alone. She must become Princess. I must obey Zertho, andcompel her to marry him. All these long weeks have I striven againstit, knowing that once united to such an unprincipled brute, her daysmust be full of wretchedness and despair. Nay, I am prepared tosacrifice everything for her sake; nevertheless, if I boldly face myenemies, or take my life to escape them, the result would be the same.Liane would be left friendless. To me through all these dark days shehas been the one joy of my aimless, weary life; hers has been the onebright face that has cheered me times without number when I should haveotherwise knocked under. I have striven my best to keep heruncontaminated by the reckless world in which I've been compelled tomove, and none can ever charge me with neglect of her. Yet this is theend. She must be torn from me, and be given to this unscrupulousblackmailer whom the possession of wealth has converted from my friendinto my enemy."
Erle Brooker, by profession an adventurer, but at heart generous andtender as a woman, had come to Nice solely on Liane's account, becausehe had been convinced by Zertho's argument that she was moping sadly atStratfield Mortimer. Although he had accepted the invitation he hadnever for one moment intended that Liane should become Princess d'Auzacuntil his whilom partner had pronounced it imperative. Then, hour byhour, day by day, he had sought means whereby Zertho might be dissuadedfrom pressing his claim, until now he was compelled to acknowledge hishope an utterly forlorn one.
"Alas!" he sighed, leaning his fevered weary head on both his hands."All happiness and gaiety must be crushed from her heart; her young lifemust be wrecked because of my sin. I, her father, must persuade, nayinsist upon her taking a step that she must regret her whole lifethrough, and use towards that end arguments which I would rather mytongue were torn out than I should utter. Ah, Liane," he cried,brokenly, in a voice of despair, "if you could but realise all that Ihave suffered these past weeks. But you must not; you, at least, shallnever know the cause of this deadly fear which holds me paralysedbeneath the relentless thrall of the one man who knows the truth. No,you must marry him, and thereby secure his silence. Your consent tobecome Princess d'Auzac can alone save me."
Again he was silent, deep in contemplation of the terrible